A recruitment business that is part of one of the UK's newest investment programmes has launched to help the energy sector create a more sustainable future as we head into post-lockdown recovery.

Surya Recruitment has been founded by Alka Graham with the aim of enabling the renewable energy sector to grow by supporting people in moving to greener jobs – and also find diverse talent in the UK.

Surya is the first business of its kind to be supported by Bristol-based TIMESTWO Investments a startup and scaleup programme led by successful recruitment entrepreneurs Mike Beesley and Keith Dawe. TIMESTWO launched last year with the aim of finding the industry’s next big names.

Surya, which means ‘the sun’ in Sanskrit, is based in Bristol, one of the greenest cities in the UK, with access to the South West’s rich energy talent and will operate nationally and with international reach.

The decision was taken to continue with launch during lockdown as the original intention of the business is to help the energy sector face its most serious challenges.

Alka, who has worked in the energy sector for more than a decade, said: “Now is the time to help our renewable energy businesses achieve significant ambitions as we head into the new dawn of the post pandemic world.

“Our business model is based on facing tough challenges – around tackling climate change by resourcing across sector areas, enabling people to move from oil and gas to renewables, and by finding people from different backgrounds.

“These will remain some of the biggest issues the sector has to face both locally and globally in the years ahead. We want to use our networks and knowledge to be a part of the solution.”

Mike Beesley, co-founder of TIMESTWO, CEO of Sanderson and serial recruitment entrepreneur and investor, said: “There has never been a greater need for different, more effective and representative ways of thinking.

“We are committed to supporting new innovation and technologies that can create alternative ways of powering the planet, and diversity and inclusion must be at the heart of these new solutions.

“The future of both the recruitment and energy sector is certainly brighter now Surya is in the world.“

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